


Snippets of Prowl (IP Verse)

by TheJazzMeister



Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Irondad, Prowl being a major cutie, barbarian au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:20:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28885266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheJazzMeister/pseuds/TheJazzMeister
Summary: This piece is inspired by ntldr’s fanfiction titled ‘The Iacon Prophecy’. Just a few snippets of Prowl’s life while growing up in the Autobot tribe. Enjoy!
Comments: 3
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ntldr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ntldr/gifts).
  * Inspired by [The Iacon Prophecy](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7033102) by [ntldr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ntldr/pseuds/ntldr). 



> This piece is inspired by ntldr’s fanfiction titled ‘The Iacon Prophecy’. Just a few snippets of Prowl’s life while growing up in the Autobot tribe. If you’ve not read ‘The Iacon Prophecy’ you absolutely should! It’s a magnificent read! Enjoy!

Ironhide sat cross legged beside a small fire in the center of his tent, cradling a bundle in his arms. He rocked his arms slowly and hummed, smiling as he ran his digit over the sparkling’s cheek. 

“Yah know,” he whispered, “If any of the other  _ yoska  _ saw me like this I’d not hear the end of it.”

Prowl, as he’d been dubbed not long before leaving Ratchet’s tent, did not respond. Ironhide didn’t expect him to. He took a moment to readjust the blanket wrapped around the sparkling’s tiny body. Almost every one of the little one’s armor plates were edged with grey. Reaching down to a small pot beside him, he dabbed a small amount of wax onto a cloth. 

Infused with some of Ratchet’s plating repair nanites, it was used for general maintenance and upkeep by most all in the tribe, and was excellent for small cracks. Prowl had plenty of those said cracks across his frame, but mostly they were on his knees and arms. There was one larger crack running along his right shoulder, but Ratchet had already patched that up. 

Gently, he rubbed the cloth all over the little one’s body, occasionally dipping it back into the pot for fresh wax. Once finished, he wrapped Prowl back into his swaddle. Once sure the little one was snug and wouldn’t squirm out, he settled him down in a basket he had borrowed from one of the newer creators of the tribe. Little Hound was much more mobile now and was already too large to recharge in a basket anyway.

He ate his evening meal quickly and tried to feed Prowl a bit more, but the sparkling wasn’t having it. He was deep in recharge and even Ironhide handling him didn’t make him stir in the least. Ironhide debated trying to wake him, but decided against it. Prowl had eaten with Ratchet and the tribe's healer had stressed how important it was for the sparkling to be able to rest. 

Tying the flaps to his tent fully closed for the night, he doused the fire and picked the basket up. Gently, he moved to place the sparkling right next to the pile of blanket and pillows that served as his berth. Laying down himself, he decided it best to turn in early. Prowl was not the first sparkling he’d had recharge in his tent for a night or two. Come morning, Prowl would no doubt be more active. He’d need to be well rested for that.

*****

Prowl did not, in fact, wake come morning. Nor did he wake the next. 

“Ratch’ I’m telling ya, something’s wrong with em!” Ironhide found himself near frantic in Ratchet’s tent for the third time in two orn. 

“”Ironhide I told you already, he is incredibly weak. You can’t expect him to be up and about like a normal sparkling. We have no idea how long he was out in the wilds,” Ratchet said. 

“But he hasn’t eaten. He hasn’t even really  _ moved _ !” Ironhide said.

“Ironhide. You and I both know how these things go sometimes. He- he might not get better and you have to be prepared for that possibility.”

“But ‘is color is starting to fill back in!”

“That isn’t always an indication of returning health,” Ratchet said softly, tracing the healing cracks along Prowl’s knees before wrapping the blanket back around his frame, “We’ve just got to wait and see.”

Ratchet turned to a small crate tucked away out of the walkway and took out a canister of minotoron milk and a thin tube. Attaching the tube to the canister, he came back to Ironhide. Tugging the blanket down just a bit to expose the little one’s belly. A quick flip of a hidden latch had a port spiraling open and Ratchet fed the line in through it before raising the canister to let gravity work. 

“Watch me do this, Hide,” Ratchet said, “You’ll need to be able to do this for him so that he isn’t starved while he recharges.”

Ironhide could only nod and listen as his friend taught him how to feed a sparkling manually. 

*****

The third orn Ironhide refused to lose hope. Occasionally, little Prowl would twitch or his mouth would turn in a frown, but that was all. By that night, his colors were completely back, if still a bit pale. Ironhide couldn’t find a single patch of grey. 

“Common lil’ mech. Wake up now. You were awake when ah found ya,” he whispered.

Prowl didn’t do as he asked.

That night, Ironhide cradled him as he rested instead of leaving him in his basket.

*****

The fourth orn Ironhide didn’t even come out of his tent. His energy went towards doing everything he could to rouse the little one. Prowl didn’t even twitch his lips anymore. Not even when Ironhide had pinched his wing nub as a test. As the light from the orn’s sun subsided, depression draped itself over Ironhide’s shoulders. Prowl lay completely limp in his arms as Ironhide lowered him into his basket. Ironhide entered a fitful recharge that night, certain he would wake to a greyed out sparkling frame in a basket beside his pillow. 

Instead, a wet hacking cough jerked him out of his dreams. For a moment, he was confused, glancing around the confines of his tent before his processor caught up. Lurching upwards to shift to his side, his blankets tangled around his legs and trapped him, though not enough to stop him from leaning his face over the edge of the basket Prowl was in. 

Again, Prowl coughed, his entire chassis heaving with the force of it. His face scrunched up and once he caught some air in his vents, he began to bawl. Ironhide had never been so overjoyed to hear a sparkling’s wail. Struggling the rest of the way from his berth he lifted Prowl free and tucked him close to his spark, shushing him softly. 

Prowl didn’t cry for long, too weak still, but he was awake long enough for Ironhide to feed him some milk before he fell back into recharge. This time, however, he wasn’t so still one might mistake him for being offline. He began to twitch regularly, coughing occasionally. Ironhide secured him into a sling across his back and took him for a walk in the sunshine, smiling as he felt Prowl kick or squirm. Prowl even woke a second time, though blinked in the brightness before starting to cry to let his displeasure at their change of scenery be known, hiding his face against Ironhide’s shoulder.

Reaching behind him, he stroked Prowl’s chevron and made his way to Ratchet’s tent. The sun felt good on his plating and he nodded towards or clasped hands with other yoska he passed. Ratchet had his back turned when he entered, crouched down and shuffling through some tools. 

“Just a moment and I’ll be with you,” Ratchet said. 

Prowl let loose another ragged cough. Ratchet’s helm snapped up and he turned to see Ironhide lifting Prowl from the sling. 

“He finally woke up again, Ratch,” Ironhide said.

Ratchet dropped the tools he’d been holding with a clatter and rushed towards them. Taking Prowl in his arms, he lowered himself to sit on one of the mats, looking the sparkling over with a critical optic. 

“He’s definitely more active. When did he start moving again?” Ratchet asked.

“Jus’ this mornin’. I- Primus Ratch I thought I’d wake up and he’d be…” Ironhide fell silent, face twisted. Ratchet placed his hand on Ironhide’s arm.

“This is a good,  _ good  _ sign, ‘Hide. I think that he’ll be alright. Come on,” Ratchet stood, passing Prowl back to Ironhide, “Let’s see if he’ll eat something.”


	2. Chapter 2

_ Eight Megacycles Later _

Prowl’s optics tracked Ironhide as he moved about the center of the camp, seated in the lap of one of the elders. It was always busy when the camp packed up to move, and it seemed the rains might come a bit early this vorn, so they were all pressed for time. The elder reached up and ran her digit along the underside of Prowl’s wing, causing the appendage to twitch and Prowl to giggle. Ironhide paused after placing one of Ratchet’s crates in a wagon and looked to them. 

Smiling, he approached the pair. 

“Thanks fer sittin’ with him,” he said, reaching down to pick Prowl up, “I’ll take him for a bit so you can see to yer tent.” 

“You sure, ‘Hide? I don’t mind watching him. He’s well behaved,” the femme said with a chuckle as she glanced towards where her own grandling was at the bottom of a dog pile of playmates. 

Ironhide followed his gaze and laughed, patting the femme’s shoulder as he passed, bouncing Prowl in his arms. Ducking into his tent, he placed Prowl down on his berth and tapped his nasal ridge playfully. 

“You stay there, little one. I’ve got to put a few things up, alright?” he said before turning to his weapons crate. He fiddled with the latch, now secured at all time to avoid tiny wandering hands finding their way into it. One of the latches was stuck from misuse and he gave it a more firm tug, knocking his arm against the small shelf that sat next to his berth where he kept his personal effects and a few toys that had been donated by creators for Prowl. 

A small ball, one of Prowl’s favorite toys, tumbled off the shelf at the disturbance and had Ironhide turning to grab it up before he caught sight of the sparkling still on his berth. 

Prowl sat perfectly erect, like he usually did really, but his optics had gone wide as he tracked the ball with them. Doorwings, which were now growing at a normal rate according to Ratchet and were practically the same size as his torso, flared wide to either side of him. They twitched minutely as they took in data that likely was nonsense to Prowl’s still developing processors, but were second nature to a mech of his frame type regardless.

Smirking, Ironhide grabbed the ball before the sparkling tried to grab it himself and presented it to Prowl. “Here ya go, little ‘un. You want to hold that fer me?” he asked.

Prowl took it with a squeal, clutching it tightly and waving it around. He over balanced thanks to his flapping wings and fell back onto the berth, pedes kicking in the air. Ironhide chuckled at the sight before turning back to the crate. Finally, he managed to push the handle up and he checked over his weapons. They seemed to be fine, but he didn’t dare let them be transported with the rest of his belongings and risk them being exposed to possible rain. Not to mention he’d need a few to strap to himself for the walk to the new settling ground. The wilds could always prove dangerous if one was not properly prepared and he had a tribe to help look after as well as a new sparkling.

Ironhide jumped as something flew onto the shelf beside him. Turning quickly, he saw nothing but Prowl who seemed to have managed to pull himself back into a sitting position and was staring back, helm tilted in curiosity. Once sure Prowl was fine, Ironhide looked to the shelf. There, almost exactly where it had been before he’d knocked it off, was the ball.

“Huh?” he said softly, picking the ball up. Prowl’s optics tracked it the entire way. 

Staring down at it for a moment, he huffed in confusion, but returned the ball to Prowl whose hands were reaching out and making grabbing motions at the toy.Prowl smiled sweetly as he took the toy and Ironhide turned back to his weapons. Weird that Prowl’d managed to toss it right back where it had been, but not impossible in any sense. He lifted a long blade that was worn on the hip. This one would probably be a good one to bring along so that Prowl wouldn’t be able to reach from his swaddle on his back. 

The ‘thunk’ of something hitting the shelf sounded right next to his helm once more. He jerked his helm around to look at Prowl who was giggling and empty handed. Slowly, he turned his helm to the shelf. The ball sat on the top of the shelf once more, perhaps a digit length away from where it had been last time but in no danger of falling off the edge. Ironhide returned his attention to Prowl and pointed to the ball.

“Did you do that, Prowl?” he asked. Prowl giggled again and reached his hands out for the toy. 

Taking the ball from the shelf, he handed it to Prowl before he moved back and away from the shelf to sit in the middle of his tent, watching Prowl closely. 

Prowl mouthed the ball and stared back. 

“Go on, kiddo,” Ironhide said. “Can ya put it back on the shelf?”

Prowl looked to the shelf and back to Ironhide, the ball coming down away from his mouth to settle in his lap. 

“Go on. Put it back like how you did a klik ago,” Ironhide said, pointing to the empty spot on the shelf.

Prowl turned back to the shelf, his wings slowly fanning out behind him again. Faintly, almost unable to be seen from the mech length distance Ironhide was from him, Prowl’s optics began to flicker rapidly as he looked at the shelf. Ironhide let out a soft sound of concern. He’d never seen a sparkling’s optics do  _ that  _ before. Was Prowl having some sort of malfunction? 

Just as he was about to rise from his seated position and go pick Prowl up, the sparkling lifted his arm and launched the ball towards the floor between Ironhide’s berth and the shelf. It bounced once on the ground before flying up and landing on the top of the shelf, right in the same area as the last two times.

Ironhide gaped at the ball as Prowl clapped his hands together, laughing. Clearly he was enjoying his  _ boba’s  _ astonishment. 

“How’d ya do that, Prowl?” Ironhide asked, moving forward to take the ball. He glanced it over as if the ball might have been the reason for its performance, but no, it was still just a normal little red ball. Turning his attention back to Prowl, he lifted it out to him. 

“Do that again for me?” he asked.

Prowl seemed pleased with this new game and this time didn’t hesitate to focus on the shelf again, optics beginning to rapidly flash once more. 

When Ratchet came by a joor later to see if Ironhide needed help with packing any last klik items before they headed out, he found Ironhide laying on his front beside his berth and handing Prowl a ball with not a single thing packed for the trip that was due to begin any klik. He did not let Ironhide forget for many vorns after about the time Ironhide had held the entire tribe up for joors because he’d gotten sidetracked playing toss with a sparkling.


	3. Chapter 3

_ Nine Vorns Later _

Prowl strolled along the edge of the camp herd, patting the occasional minotoron on its side as he went. He had to remind himself not to catch his hand on the small blade that sat on his hip now. I was his first true weapon and while a few of the tribe had felt he was still too young for such a thing, Ironhide  _ was  _ his  _ boba _ . He’d been taught the basics of how to safely handle most weapons before he could truly walk, even if he’d never been allowed to truly hold them before. 

Ironhide was a good teacher and he was proud that he’d been allowed to begin training with it early. He was going to be a  _ yoska  _ one orn and make his  _ boba  _ proud. 

“Hey Prowl!” a voice called out. Prowl turned to see Hound and his carrier coming over the hill. He’d heard their call a few kliks ago and known someone was coming, but smiled at his friend as he ran up to him and matched his pace.

“Hello, Hound. Where are you coming from?” he asked.

“My carrier took me to the river to show me how to get materials for making a trap! It was so cool!” Hound said.

Prowl smiled. Hound was the one who most enjoyed going out and exploring. He was not much older than Prowl but far more active. Prowl wasn’t very jealous. Ironhide had promised him he would begin taking him out to the fields to learn how to hunt after his upcoming sparking anniversary. No one really knew Prowl’s  _ exact  _ sparking anniversary, but Ratchet had treated enough sparklings to have an idea of his age when he’d been found and they always celebrated it on the orn that he’d been found by Ironhide. 

“That’s very interesting,” he said. He gave a quick nod of respect to Hound’s carrier as the mech passed them, giving them each a pat on the helm.

“Are you helping anyone with the minotorons right now?” Hound asked, glancing around.

“No,” Prowl shook his helm. “I was earlier, but they let me go for the afternoon to play. I was going to find Trailbreaker but he has a virus and has to stay in Ratchet’s tent.”

Hound nodded, “Yeah, I heard that too. That’s no fun. Maybe Ratch’ll let up visit him later after supper.” 

“Perhaps,” Prowl said.

Hound smiled at him, “Well, you wanna go explore? I found a turbofox den not far from here the other orn! We can go and see if there’s pups!”

Prowl paused, “I’m not sure it’s wise to bother a turbofox den with pups in it. What if the carrier is nearby?”

Hound nudged him, “You worry too much! No one ever offline from a few turbofox scratches! Come on!” With that, Hound took off ahead of him.

Prowl shook his helm but began to run behind his friend. He’d never stepped down from a challenge before.  _ Yoska  _ were not afraid of a simple turbofox.

*****

He and Hound lay perfectly still and silent in the grass, looking at the small hole in the ground a few paces in front of them. Prowl had never been so close to an active den before and they could both see movement and hear the yipping of the pups. 

He turned to Hound, who smiled widely back at him. Prowl found himself sharing his friend's excitement. While they cared for Trailbreaker dearly, both could admit to themselves that they never would have gotten so close to the den had he been with them. It wasn’t his fault. He couldn’t help having such a… loud frame. 

Hound’s hand rested softly on his arm and he glanced over to see him pointing towards something behind the den. At first, Prowl couldn’t see anything but then suddenly, a full grown turbofox jumped from the grass and landed in front of the den. It must have been the carrier. How Hound had seen it before he had was a mystery, but it didn’t matter. Hound was tugging at his arm gently, wanting to back away. Despite his earlier bravado, it was not a good idea to be near when the carrier was. 

But Prowl wasn’t done looking. 

He shook his helm when Hound’s tugging became incessant, lifting his frame to inch just a bit closer to the den. He felt Hound slowly move in the opposite direction as his friend retreated back. The carrier turbofox had dropped whatever food it had scavenged at the opening of the den for its creations before its helm jerked up.

Prowl froze as he was pinned by its gaze. They stared at each other for a long time, neither moving before Prowl finally found his courage. Creeping forward as slowly as possible, he lifted a hand out towards the turbofox. The turbofox watched him closely as he did so before lowering its helm and sniffing in the direction of his outstretched hand. Prowl smiled as it began to close the distance. 

Suddenly he heard Ironhide’s voice ring out across the plain, “Prowl! What do you think yer  _ doing _ !?”

The turbofox leapt back and disappeared into the den with its young as they crawled deeper within the tunnel beneath. Prowl felt his face twist in annoyance.

Jumping up, he turned to his  _ boba _ . “It was right there,  _ boba _ ! I was about to be able to pet it! Why would you do that!” 

He realized his mistake in shouting at Ironhide a moment too late as he was approached. Ironhide glared as he finally reached Prowl before spinning his charge around and delivering two ringing slaps to his aft. Turning Prowl back to face him, he held on to the younglings arm and pulled him close so he could speak directly to him.

“Exactly, Prowl! Rule fraggin’ one of being out here! You do  _ not  _ approach wild animals unless you are hunting them and you  _ certainly  _ don’t approach one that has young nearby!”

Prowl felt tears sting his optics, more in upset than pain from Ironhide’s chastisement. He never really acted out enough to be punished in such a way and the fact that Hound had seen made it all the more embarrassing. 

“But it wasn't acting hostile at all! It was just smelling my servo!” he said.

Ironhide released him and rubbed his optics tiredly, “That’s what turbofoxes  _ do _ , Prowl. They make you think they’re not a threat. Then, when you’re not expecting it they go after you. They’re smart that way. I guarantee you were this close to losing a digit,” he held up his own digits pinched together to show what he meant. 

“But.” Prowl tried, but Ironhide cut him off.

“No, Prowl. You’re a real smart little lad, but you don’t know everything. I’ve got a whole life's experience in dealing with the wilds and I’m not about to allow you to go running off and get yerself hurt,” he said firmly, effectively ending the argument. 

He yabbed a digit in the direction of the tribe, “Go. Both of you. Supper is ready. That’s why I was looking fer you in the first place.”

Prowl walked forward, knowing better than to stomp the way he wanted to and land himself extra chores as punishment for being disrespectful, his doorwings pushed down in an angry ‘v’. Ironhide followed behind at a more sedate pace to their tent as they dropped Hound off at his own, and when Prowl entered he was hit with the smells of a fresh meal. He sat quietly as Ironhide prepared two small bowl and passed him his before sitting across from him.

Sipping at the energon, Ironhide looked at Prowl who was clearly still upset. Sighing, he said, “Prowl, look at me mechling.”

When Prowl’s optics met his own, he said, “You know I just want you to be safe is all. I almost lost ya when you were a sparklin’ and I don’t think mah old spark can handle that now. The wilds are extremely unpredictable. And above all else, dangerous. You hear?”

Prowl glanced down, “Yes,  _ Boba _ .” He kept his optics down as guilt began to make itself known. He hadn’t meant to scare Ironhide. He’d only wanted to see the turbofox up close.

“Hey,” Ironhide said.

Prowl glanced up to see Ironhide had taken two sewing sticks that were used for repairing their waist cloths and stuck them in his mouth in imitation of giant fangs. 

“Grr!” Ironhide said. The sight was so unexpected coming from the tough  _ yoska  _ that Prowl felt a laugh burst out of him before he could stop it. 

“Wah?!” Ironhide said, the sticks making his speech garbled, “I’m a predacon and I’m gonna eat ya up!” With that, he launched forward to grab at Prowl, making the youngling shriek in laughter. 

Once Ironhide managed to catch Prowl by his waist cloth, he dragged the youngling into his lap. He dug his digit into a bundle of sensitive wires in the youngling’s side, making Prowl thrash and writhe in his arms. He continued this, digits finding new bundles of wires to catch with every way Prowl turned until Prowl’s internal fans kicked onto their highest setting. Finally, he gave his youngling mercy and stopped, running his hand up and down one of Prowl’s wings to help him calm down. When Prowl managed to catch his breath, he squirmed out of Ironhide’s lap and the two returned to their meal. Once finished eating, Ironhide declared it time for Prowl to recharge and for once, Prowl felt too wrung out to argue.

He fell into recharge smiling lightly, pressed up against his  _ boba’s  _ warm side.


End file.
